Ready
by ImpishAntics
Summary: What if Harvey overheard Donna and Rachel's conversation where Donna admits that she would have wanted to try being with Harvey all those years ago? Donna's confession shocks Harvey into confronting both their feelings as they wonder if they are finally ready to be together. The answer? Yes, of course they are.
1. Chapter 1

**Gosh, this is my first fanfiction so here goes nothing. First of all thank you for clicking on it, because I was so sure no one would! I have always seen people write that they don't own these characters etc. so I guess I should probably do that too. I don't own any of these characters. I'll let you read the story because I always hate it when these author things are too long. I don't know why I'm so nervous. Okay. Bye! (:**

Harvey walked up the familiar stairs to Donna's apartment feeling an overwhelming sensation of déjà vu. He had only been here twice and the second time was one he had repressed a long time ago. Maybe that's the reason he chose not to visit often – out of fear that those memories would be unleashed. He reminded himself that he was doing this as a favour to Mike, who was currently staying at his place and needed a friend to return Mike's house key to Rachel. As he stood outside Donna's door, he had the overwhelming urge to find a mirror. The last time he was here, he was a younger, more confident man and though Donna was still as beautiful as the day they had met he was suddenly very aware that he may be a very different man. He shook the feeling as he remembered that of course he looked great, he was Harvey Specter for god's sake, and no one looked better than Harvey Specter apart from Harvey Specter in a suit. Just as he decided to raise his hand to knock on the door and was giving his ego a final boost, he heard Donna's familiar voice.

"I slept with Harvey"

Harvey recoiled from the door in shock. They had both agreed never to tell anyone. Ever. He had never told a soul, not even Mike. He wondered why she would feel the need to tell Rachel now, after the monumental effort that they both put into making sure it never came out. He had to admit, it was nice hearing the confession, after all those years it seemed like that night was a dream or a fantasy rather than reality. He stepped closer to the door to listen.

"Would you have wanted a relationship with him?" Rachel's shocked and intrigued voice flew into Harvey's ear. He knew the answer straight away. No. Donna was smart enough to stay away from a man like him and though at the time it was difficult for him to deal with he buried his feelings and continued working in a glass office watching Donna, knowing that at least their friendship was alive – and he was thankful for it. It would still hurt to hear the rejection from her but he braced himself for it.

"I would have wanted to try, but he wasn't ready"

Years later when he stood at the alter waiting for Donna to walk down the aisle, he would think back to how that one sentence changed both their lives. But in the present day Harvey's entire world was crumbling, everything he thought he knew about their relationship was very suddenly wiped out of his brain and was replaced by those six words. _I would have wanted to try._

He had so many questions and he wanted to scream them all. Why did she never tell him that she wanted to try? Did she never know that he wanted to try as well? Could they have been together all this time if she had told him? Mike's key that he had been holding in his hand was dropped on the ground as he raced out of the building before he did something stupid.

5 hours later at Pearson Specter was in it's usual bustling state as Donna sat at her desk worriedly waiting for Harvey to walk in. In all the years that she had known him he had never been this late without either a good reason or without telling her. She had tried every form of communication and still nothing. Of course she handled all the clients with ease – she was Donna. A few rescheduled meetings mixed with a couple white lies and to everyone that worked at Pearson Specter it appeared that Harvey Specter was still the feared partner of a major legal firm and not a tardy awol 5 year old.

However, it wasn't just Harvey's strange antics that were bothering her this morning. She found Mike's key on the floor outside her apartment. Mike probably wanted to return the key to Rachel but Donna was a better people reader than most and knew that Mike would never want to actually see Rachel after she dropped that big of a truth on him. So either Mike sent someone else or her skills just weren't as good as they used to be. No, obviously her skills were exemplary and any objection to that was ridiculous. So then who was outside her door? Just as she started to think of suspects her phone beeped. It was from Harvey. Thank god, she thought as she opened the message.

_We need to talk. At Mine._

Could he be anymore cryptic. He wants to talk? At his place? Today was getting weirder and weirder by the second as she packed up her things to make her way over to his house. Maybe she would take some case files over to his, that way they could get some work done.

She always loved going to Harvey's. Ever since the first time she entered his apartment she was repeatedly amazed by the view. Hundreds of towering beautiful buildings masked the pale blue skyline and greeted her eyes. She was about to knock on the door but quickly realised it was slightly ajar. She walked into the apartment apprehensively to find a one Harvey Specter sitting on his couch with his tie loosened holding a glass of whiskey.

"A little early for the whiskey don't you think?" Donna raised an eyebrow.

"You never told me."

"What?"

"Years and years we worked together and not once did you think it was important to mention that you would have wanted to try."

Realisation hit Donna like a wave. Suddenly very unsure of the words that were about to fall from her mouth he steadied herself and replied the only way she knew how. With the truth.

"You weren't ready."

Harvey stood up to look her in the eyes and spoke in a controlled voice. "Maybe. Do you still think that?"

Donna's confidence wavered and she knew she had two choices. The first being a lie. She could lie and say that it would never work because Harvey is still the same person he was all those years ago. Or, she could tell him the truth. And if she knew Harvey as well as she thought she did, she knew he would be able to tell the difference.

"No. I don't."

Harvey stepped closer to Donna until she could smell the cologne and whiskey emanating off of him. "Do you still want to try?" he asked in a sincere voice that Donna was sure she had never heard and this time she took almost no time to reply.

"Yes"

And in an instant after the confession Harvey reached for Donna's face and put those years of unfulfilled desire into an earth shattering kiss. It's suffice to say that through that kiss both people felt the weight of a thousand denied nights lift off their shoulders.

**I hope that wasn't horrifically terrible for you to read. You have no idea how much it would mean if you wrote a few words telling me what you thought and how I could improve it. 3 Thanks again!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! I just wanted to say how sweet all your reviews were and I couldn't possibly put into words how much they encouraged me – so thank you very very much! This was originally going to be a one-shot but all your wonderful words have convinced me to make it longer (maybe three/four chapters?). Enjoy!**

As Pearson Specter started to hum with the buzz of lawyer jargon and stressed paralegals, Donna sat patiently at her desk, radiating the sort of calm that is usually found within Buddhist monks. However, inside, her body was in so many knots that a boy scout would be proud. Donna had to admit that she was the one who broke that amazing kiss. And she was the one that suggested going slow. It was not like Donna to be out of her depth but here she was – all the way in the deep end. She knew how Harvey's mind worked in relationships (she had seen too many of them fail to not notice), if she pushed him then this relationship would be over before it began. She stared at the clock until it turned 7:30 and only then did Donna shift her gaze to the corridor which Harvey would be striding down any moment from now.

Just as she predicted, in swaggered (and I don't use the word swaggered often but it really did fit him) Harvey. In his hand a thin blue file and on his face, a fearsome focussed look. He reached Donna's desk and just as she was about to greet him, he said "I need the Collins file proof-read and tell Mike I need the files on the Stanley-Pager merger on my desk by yesterday. And to my knowledge, the SCC are still after us so can someone tell me why I'm the only person in this whole goddam office trying to stop them." And with that he stalked off into his office and started to work.

And good morning to you too, thought Donna. This was not how she had imagined the first meeting after the kiss going. Now, she wasn't a romantic – oh, who was she kidding she was a romantic. Being a romantic she would have much preferred it if he had come in and swept her off her feet for breakfast. But no, he was different to all the men Donna had dates and in Pearson Specter, he was the man. A man who apparently, didn't even have time to say hello.

10 minutes later, Harvey called out "Donna!"

Donna stood and walked into the office, wondering why she was needed so urgently.

"I told you I needed the Collins file proof-read. I still don't have it. Feel free to give me a reason as to why." Harvey looked at her sternly.

So this was how he was going to act. Donna wasn't ready to give in yet. "The reason it isn't on your desk, is because it is a 75 page document that takes more than ten minutes to read. Now, feel free to give me a reason as to why you are acting like an ass." Donna crossed her arms and stood a little taller as she watched Harvey's anger turn into confusion.

"What? I'm acting like an ass? I'm acting like your boss, and if you can't handle that then maybe I need to start looking for a new secretary." Harvey startled himself with those words. Of course he didn't want a new secretary, what was he saying?!

Donna had had enough."Really, because my boss from yesterday wouldn't have assigned me an impossible task and then have the nerve to tell me to my face that he wants a new secretary. Well, actually if this is how you decide to deal with the fact that yesterday we kissed, and don't for a second think that I don't know that the kiss is the reason you're acting so strange, then maybe you should find a new secretary who you decide to kiss and then shout at."

Donna walked briskly to her desk and started to pack her things. It was stupid of her to think that that kiss wouldn't change their relationship. Right now, all she wanted was to leave Harvey and his stupid words, and stupid kiss and his stupid job.

**So, not exactly a lovely reunion after the kiss eh? Trust me, a happy ending will happen…just a little bit later. Special shout out to everyone who reviewed my first chapter, you all completely convinced me to write more. (: Thanks for reading and as always you know how much reviews and advice means to me so feel free to say hi! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I am so sorry about how late this is, but I had my birthday last week and things have been a little crazy. However, I really wanted to continue this story because of all the lovely and supportive comments, so I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Wearing sweatpants and not caring if as some of her hair fell into the chunky monkey ice cream she was holding, Donna sat in a ball on her couch ready for her impeccably furnished floor to swallow her up. But as she was about to search through the millions of channels on her TV to make her feel something other than sadness, a knock on her door signalled that the pizza she ordered had arrived. She begrudgingly put her ice cream down and headed to face the only thing she knew she truly loved in this world.

However, she quickly discovered that on the other side of the door was not a spotty 19 year old trying to deliver her pizza but in fact was a well-dressed business man with an apologetic face that matched Harvey Specter's.

"What do you want Harvey?"

"For you to forgive me for today. It's just that we've always been Harvey and Donna. The boss and the secretary. The two friends. And now, I just don't know how to act around you. So either we stop this thing now before we end up ruining everything we have or -" He was sharply cut off by Donna.

"Okay."

"What?"

"I forgive you. I misjudged you and this relationship and that left us both in uncomfortable position, and since I have no inclination or desire to keep on being terrorised by my so called boss, I'll make the decision for you. We are done romantically. However, I am a professional and I refuse to let this stunt of yours keep me from doing my job. So get out of my apartment and I will see you 7:30 sharp."

And with that soliloquy Donna slammed the door in Harvey's face.

He really thought that a measly apology would be enough to set everything back to the way it was. Well, he was in a big shock tomorrow because there is no way that in this lifetime or the next that Donna was going to not going to make Harvey regret this decision. She wiped the ice cream stain off her shirt and headed to grab her bag. There were a few new things that Donna needed for her plan, and if she was being honest, a new dress deserved her too.

* * *

The next day, as the elevator dinged and Harvey stepped out to the floor he felt a sense of regularity. He had done this walk to his office a thousand times and now that Donna had decided to go back to the way things were before, he really did feel like his world was centered again. As soon as he got close to his office, his heart sunk. Donna was not at her desk. Maybe she decided to go back on her word but that didn't sound like Donna at all. Just as his thoughts were about to run away to a different planet, Donna appeared out of his glass office. It looked like Donna but it wasn't her. She was dressed in a red dress that hugged her generous top half and flowed till her knees. She had a bright red lipstick on that made her red hair glow like fire. Harvey stopped mid stride and it wasn't till Donna clocked her head sideways that he realised that he had been staring for over 10 seconds.

"Eghm, sorry. You look nice, new dress?" He asked, making a conscious effort to look through the files on her desk as a distraction.

"This old thing? I'm sure I've worn it before." She looked at him innocently.

"No you haven't, I would have remembered that dress." He stated and walked into his office.

For the rest of the day he used every inch of his will power to stop staring at Donna and after about 3 hours he was cursing Jessica Pearson for making offices out of glass. Slowly, his glass office was feeling more like a glass cage and Donna was so temptingly close. Okay, he thought, let's try to make it till 5 minutes before looking at her again. You can do this Harvey, he told himself. He concentrated on the lines in front of him.

Donna strode in exactly as his 5 minutes were up..

"There are 2 meetings this afternoon, and Louis decided to prep the witnesses for the Harp case. I wanted to know if there is anything else you wanted me to do tonight before I leave." Donna asked.

"Schedule the meetings in Boardroom 2, and no, I can't think of anything else for you to do."

"Okaaay." Strange, thought Donna. Harvey always has his one to one meetings in his office.

"Great. Thanks Donna." If Harvey didn't move away from his office and Donna's demon dress he wasn't sure he could make it through the rest of the day.

"No problem." She smiled sweetly.

"Why are you wearing that dress?" He blurted out. He couldn't take it anymore. Was it for him? He hoped to god it was for him.

"If you must know, I have a date. That's why I asked you if there was anything extra for me to do before the end of the day. I don't want to be late on the first date. Kinda rude don't you think?" And with that statement she whirled out of his office.

Donna could feel Harvey's eyes boring into her back as she worked. Her plan could not have gone better. Right about now, she imagined he would be seething. His frown would be growing more and more impatient as he speculated every little detail of this "date". She had told herself that she would make him regret his mistake and boy, was it working.

* * *

As 5 o'clock rolled around Harvey had attended his two meetings, well, tried to, because he couldn't focus on anything but Donna's upcoming date. Donna on the other hand was stapling the last few papers on a file and rose out of her seat to grab her bag.

"Harvey, I've left the Mapleton file on my desk if you want to look at it." She waved at him from outside his office.

"Donna wait!" He shouted as she started to leave. "I actually, remembered that I need things filed. So you can't leave yet"

"What things?" She faked suspicion.

"You know, from cases." For a lawyer who was usually quick to think of his feet, Harvey was an absouloutely terrible liar to Donna.

"What cases?"

"The Terrance case"

"Done."

"The Bachenier case"

"Done."

"The Leith case"

"Done. Harvey, why are you stalling? Is this about my date? Because, I'm going to need a far better reason than filing some case files to stick around. And to me, it seems like you don't have one."

"I don't want you to go. That's all the reason you need." He stated firmly.

"You can't decide that you want me to be your secretary, and then have a say in my personal life. You can't be my boss and my Harvey at the same time, just like I can't be both, your secretary and your Donna. So unless, the Harvey who is NOT my boss has something to say to Donna who is NOT the secretary, then I'm going on this date. " She stared into his eyes and waited eagerly for his reply. This was it. The make or break in her plan. Either he would say he wanted her or not.

"Donna I- . I don't-" His voice broke and stumbled as he broke their gaze and looked to the floor in confusion.

She decided then and there, to never trust her feelings when it came to Harvey. She turned away from him and walked confidently to the elevators, leaving Harvey with the realisation that it was finally over between them. She wasn't going to wait forever, and he wouldn't make her.

* * *

**I know, i know its another chapter that ends badly but I promise the next one is the last and final chapter and that will definitely be a happy ending! As always, I would love for you to give me some comments, criticisms or whatever you feel like sharing :) Hopefully I'll update soon, but I have a bit of trouble imagining how this ends, so if you have any ideas, please let me know because I am fresh out!**


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